Late October 2025 saw Cyclone Montha cause approximately $625 million in damage to India’s east coast, especially in Andhra Pradesh. This extremely severe cyclonic storm made landfall between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, where it rained heavily and winds reached 100-110 km/h for several days, destroying crops, infrastructure, and lives/homes.
Path and Impact
As a result, on the night of October 28-29, Montha struck India, Andhra Pradesh, and the neighboring states of Telangana and Odisha. The tropical cyclone led to flooding, the felling of trees, the loss of electricity poles, and the loss of entire residential buildings; rivers overflowed their banks. Crops suffered damage across more than 43,000 hectares of land, with total agricultural losses reaching nearly ₹829 crore. The natural disaster destroyed more than 380 km of roads and 14 bridges, leaving some villages isolated. It was necessary to conduct rescue operations in flooded areas to evacuate residents to special care points.
Human and Animal Toll
Although the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had officially reported no confirmed human casualties, two women were reported to have died from local news. Cyclone Montha is also estimated to have killed at least 120 animals. As flooding and continuous heavy rains disrupted day-to-day life, thousands of people were displaced, with over 100,000 relocated to safer conditions.
Economic Losses
The overall damage is estimated at nearly ₹5,265 crore ($625 million). The most severely affected industry was agriculture, which damaged crops such as paddy, maize, cotton, and black gram across more than 87,000 hectares. Moreover, infrastructure, such as roads and utility services, was affected, resulting in higher post-recovery prices for the state Government. As floodwaters gradually recede and the cyclone downgrades to a low-pressure system, the authorities undertake relief and reconstruction efforts.
Continuing Alerts and Recovery
After the cyclone dissipated, the India Meteorological Department issued further warnings for heavy rainfall over the affected territory, and the flood alerts continued. National Disaster Response Force dispatched numerous teams to Andhra Pradesh and Odisha while keeping others on standby in Tamil Nadu and Telangana to provide relief and rehabilitation assistance. This cyclone season’s devastating force underscored the climate change vulnerability of coastal and agricultural regions.
In conclusion, the far-reaching impact of Cyclone Montha underscores the critical need for improved disaster preparedness, infrastructure resilience, and targeted aid to farmers and displaced communities to mitigate the aftermath of future natural disasters. This paper has delineated the severe devastation in India resulting from Cyclone Montha, including approximately $625 million in potential economic costs, significant agricultural losses, deadly incidents, and flooding, as well as the ongoing recovery effort.